


The Sun and The Stars

by z0mbieshake



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dragons, M/M, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 13:21:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6007819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/z0mbieshake/pseuds/z0mbieshake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Malcolm befriends a baby dragon. Decades later as Peter Pan, that same dragon finds him again</p>
<p>Also known as That story with Dragon!Felix</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After a couple months of work and re-work, the Dragon!Felix fanfic that I once promised to [Sporklift](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sporklift/pseuds/sporklift) for her birthday has finally come to be.

"Malcolm! Blast, where is that kid?" Chester growled, stepping out from the smithy and into the fields. He rolled his eyes as he caught the wide-eyed, downy haired boy sprawled in the long grass sleeping, "Did you pack your things?" He asked, nudging the boy's head with his boot.

Malcolm grumbled loudly, rolling onto his side away from his caretaker, "Don't want to go. I'll watch the shop for you," He squealed as Chester grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upwards, dragging him across the fields, "Let me go! I'm not going and that's final!"

"You'd think a kid would be excited to go _dragon hunting_ ," Chester mumbled to himself.

Malcolm was a whole new brand of laziness that Chester never expected ever since the day he bought the boy from his father. He figured he could use an apprentice and he'd probably give him a better life than his deadbeat, drunken father. Unfortunately, the boy failed to take on the behaviour of a hard-working blacksmith and instead followed in his biological father's footsteps.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Malcolm asked, sitting on a carriage as he kicked at the driver periodically, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

The dark-skinned woman driving the carriage promptly snapped her gaze over to Chester. The blacksmith shrugged. He couldn't leave the kid alone and they were undermanned for the dragon hunt. When her glare continued, Chester gave a heavy sigh and turned around in his seat to face Malcolm, "Two hours."

"Two hours?" Malcolm whined, groaning in an exaggerated manner as he slumped over the carriage, "This is stupid."

"What sort of kid doesn't want to go hunt dragons?" Chester asked, unable to figure Malcolm out, "Kids in the village were begging me to bring them along."

"Then you should've brought a kid from the village," Malcolm replied, tongue sharp despite his lazy, lolling demeanor, "Don't wanna hunt dragons. You just want them for their scales."

Chester scoffed, climbing over the carriage and sitting across from Malcolm, "And the skin, the horns, molted skins, bones if we're lucky. Do you understand how big a haul this is?"

"Of course I do!" Malcolm said, "I just don't care."

Giving up, Chester scraped a hand over his beard and climbed back into the front with his driver, "I don't know where he gets it from."

 

"Can you pay attention for just one minute?" Chester grumbled, holding Malcolm by the back of his collar while the boy flailed exaggeratedly. Chester was fully ready to wait out Malcolm's tantrum but the rest of his crew shut down his idea with cross looks, "Just… whatever. Fine. Do as you please," He released the boy, scowling when Malcolm promptly stood by him with an innocent smile and perfect posture, "So, as most of you know, around this time, the dragons will have hatched their young and will begin migrating to a warmer climate. To those who are new here," He gestured to the pudgy man with neatly trimmed hair, "This week is when the dragons will be closest to Black Hollows. We arrived sooner than most of the other hunters this time so instead of our usual scavenge for molted skin, I propose we hunt for the younger dragons."

The crowd was easily riled at the prospect of more coin. A single dragon was worth more than a thousand molted dragon skins or egg shells. Malcolm was not amused. He didn't want to partake in hunting a dragon. _It was too much work_. He couldn't understand the excitement either. From the pictures in his books and the stories Chester would tell him, dragons were majestic creatures, filled with power and respect yet the adults wanted to _kill them for their flesh_. Malcolm didn't like it one bit.

"I don't want to hunt," Malcolm declared, cutting Chester off, "Hunting dragons is stupid."

Chester scraped his hand over his beard once more, an embarrassed gesture that became a habit the moment he adopted Malcolm, "You can stay at the camp. Watch our things and don't run off on your own."

Malcolm was unable to accomplish either of those goals.

As soon as he saw the smoke come up from the trees, smoking fresh meat to lure in baby dragons, Malcolm leapt off his crate and promptly walked away from the campsite. He knew Chester meant well with his commands, fearing that Malcolm might run into danger on his own, and perhaps if Malcolm started listening to his blacksmith mentor, he might actually make something of himself someday. But until that time comes, Malcolm had a duty of making Chester's life more complicated. It kept the man on his toes which Malcolm considered a good lesson for life.

Giggling at Chester's imagined face when he returned to camp, Malcolm nearly missed the subtle smoke wafting out from a cliff side. Curious, he stepped out from the forest and towards the mound of stones looking over the eastern side of the land. The high point was a beautiful sight to behold and most notably, a very strategic point to prevent ambushes. Crawling around, curiously poking at the rocks, Malcolm promptly found _a dragon's nest_ concealed as a landslide.

_"Dragon's are smart creatures. Believe me, Malcolm, if there were more of them they'd probably take over the world."_

Snickering once more, Malcolm was excessively proud over outmaneuvering Chester's crew. The moment he stepped in, he immediately clutched his nose at the pungent scent of dragon dung and rotting flesh, no doubt food scraps left behind from a kill. He would remember the scent of dragon dung anywhere, Chester salvaging a failed hunt by converting dragon dung into a very potent but pungent fuel for their forge.

"Ew…" Malcolm grumbled. Carefully moving around in the dark until he came across a bundle of branches, cloth, and molted skin. He pondered for a moment before figuring out what it was, " _A nest_ ," So this wasn't just a rest point for the dragons, this was once their long term home.

Counting the eggshells, Malcolm figured there had to be at least four new baby dragons. He picked up an intact shell, figuring Chester would probably fail in his hunt and want to salvage at least something valuable. The dung was staying exactly where it was.

_A whine_ came from the shadows.

Malcolm jumped, dropping the shells and stumbling backwards in the dark.

_A rattle_ followed the whine shortly after.

Something was in here. Malcolm begged for it to be just some wild animal but what creature could possibly be dumb enough to sneak into a dragon's nest?

… _wait a minute._

Malcolm's thoughts were interrupted by another rattle, subtle like the kicking of a baby within a mother's womb. He cautioned forward, testing the ground before him with his foot before finally nudging something hefty and _warm_. He reached down, hands gliding over a rigid, rounded surface before scooping it into his arms.

_A dragon egg._

"Mine, mine, it's completely mine!" Malcolm declared, skipping through the forest with the egg in his hands. It was certainly smaller than the usual dragon egg. Most required at least a grown man to carry but this one fit perfectly in his arms. It must've been the runt of the litter, left behind in the cave while the mother took his siblings out to feed.

Already, childish fantasies of riding a dragon over the village and quarreling with other dragon-riders were firing through Malcolm's overactive imagination. He rubbed his cheek against the egg, fascinated by the natural heat it radiated. Distracted by his imagination, Malcolm nearly forgot the company he had travelled with. He barely caught the blacksmith and his hunting crew at the campsite, nearly sauntering right in with a dragon egg in his hands. Panicking, Malcolm stumbled frantically towards the closest bundle of sacks and barrels, stuffing the egg into a sack of rice before Chester caught sight of him.

"There you are!" Chester declared, stomping over to Malcolm and dragging the boy by his shirt, "I told you not to run off. There are _dragons_ in this area, if you hadn't figured that out yet, and that's no place for a child to be running around alone."

Malcolm pouted, hating it whenever Chester treated him like a boy half his age, "I was only taking a walk," He peered over to the wagons, finding nothing but empty nets and unused traps, "Wow Chester, look at all the dragons you caught. You're so cool!"

Chester simply narrowed his eyes, choosing not to press any further as he turned away to address his crew, "Judging from the tracks and debris, or lack thereof, it is safe to assume that the dragons have found elsewhere to nest. As they'll be heading south to the warmer climate, we will search the forest south of here next. There have been no reports from Crow's Perch of dragons migrating so it's safe to say that they were still here."

He gave a dismissive wave, his hunting team dispersing to prepare the camp. Malcolm made to wander off but was quickly restrained by his arm, "Don't run off like that. You don't know what's in these forests."

"Wolves I guess. And apparently dragons," Malcolm replied, "I'm not a moron."

Chester let out a slow, husky sigh, "So you know what's in these forests and you go out anyway?"

Malcolm gave him a dismissive shrug, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

There was no reasoning with this _brat_. Chester tore away, picking up a few tools from the ground to store away in their supply wagon. When he was distracted, Malcolm peered over his shoulder to the sack of rice he hid the dragon egg inside. Luckily, their cook had taken another bag to start their nightly gruel. He wrinkled his nose at the thought. Daily gruel was just another reason why Malcolm hated these trips. As soon as he confirmed his dragon egg would be safe, Malcolm chased after Chester and trailed behind him.

"What happens if you catch a living dragon?" Malcolm asked, voice innocuously curious.

Chester was far too exhausted with Malcolm's games to ignore him. He looked to the boy, scanning him for any ulterior motives before continuing on, "We harvest them. Scales, skin, bones, horns, claws, those go to us for crafting. Lungs, liver, other organs, those go to the apothecary for medicine. Raw flesh would go to a butcher. Dragon meat stew sells for quite a bit at the capital," Malcolm felt his stomach wrench as Chester described the process, "Ah, and there's always a fight for the dragon's _heart_. Renowned healing properties if brewed into medicine. It's worth a fortune to anyone."

Malcolm shuddered at the thought. He was thankful that he hadn't been sold to a butcher, "So, you don't keep it alive?"

"Why would we?" Chester replied, brow raised like it was the most peculiar question in the world, "Dragons don't do anything for us alive."

"You could train it," Malcolm replied.

A smile was on Chester's face, amused by Malcolm naivety, "Dragons can't be trained. They're wild, _smart_ creatures. If they could be trained, don't you think kings would be riding around on dragons by now?"

"What if it was just a baby?" Malcolm added, unrelenting in his barrage of questions, "Or an egg?"

"Who knows," Chester replied, dropping off his tool and folding his arms, "Perhaps if you find one, you can tell me," He dismissed the boy, walking past him and towards the crowd sitting by the fire waiting for their food.

Malcolm hummed playfully, not deterred by Chester's attitude. Perhaps he _will_ tell him someday.

 

The next day, Malcolm was not quite so lucky. Chester brought him along for the hunt, tying a rope to his belt to keep him from running off. Grumbling, Malcolm purposely dragged his feet to slow the blacksmith down.

The crew was heading towards the cave where Malcolm had found the dragon egg. The boy immediately frowned at the realization, his pride at being the _only_ one to find the dragon cave diminishing. They recognized the landslide as a cover right away, all of approaching it cautiously.

"Wait," A pale-haired woman said. Judging from her studded tunic and many weapons, Malcolm assumed she must've been a hunter of sorts, "You smell that?"

At her prompt, Malcolm noticed the scent right away. _Cooking meat_ , too strong to be from a human campsite and too pungent to be any normal prey. Chester led the search, dragging Malcolm along as the professional hunters entered the cave first, eventually leading them to the bloody corpse of a mangled dragon.

Malcolm held his breath, giant, glassy eyes staring back at him. Magnificent scales shimmering like gold and ivory were ripped from its body and splattered with blood. Its stomach was ripped open, organs spilling out and cooked like pot roast. Worst of all was that some of the bits and pieces were _still twitching_. The huntress moved ahead, touching the beast's throat and running her hands over several bands over its neck.

"It's a female. Looks old enough to be a mother. Could check her womb if we wanted to," She said, gesturing nonchalantly to the pile of baked organs in the dirt, "If she was migrating, her children must've escaped the attack."

"My god," A pudgy looking man who was dressed in stained rags mumbled. He stumbled forward, dropping to his knees to examine the carnage, "Her heart is gone. Why?"

The huntress explained to the pudgy man what Chester had implied to Malcolm. Nervously, Malcolm peered up at Chester who gave a nod to the huntress. The heart of a dragon had special properties known by both humankind and dragonkind.

"Who did it?" Chester said, ignoring how Malcolm tugged on his rope, "Can you tell if it was the aggressor?"

The huntress gave him a firm head shake, "No. This one was definitely not the aggressor. Whoever attacked her was bigger, stronger, and she would've known. Not many things bigger than a Sun Wyvern."

"Except a Blood Drake," Chester said, expression suddenly darkening, "We collect this one and then we get out of here."

"But what about her children?" Malcolm piped up.

Chester approved of Malcolm's concern but could not reward it, "We can't. If Blood Drakes have come, this whole forest is too dangerous," He gestured to the two bulky men in the back. Malcolm stiffened when he noticed the cleavers in their hands, "Take this one apart."

Malcolm couldn't shut his eyes, hypnotized as the butchers approached the corpse and _yanked her wound wider_ , letting more organs slip out before hacking up her body into portable pieces. They were making the carnage worse, so much worse. The dragon's glassy eyes still watched Malcolm even as they lay on the bloodied stone.

For once, Malcolm had no protests about being treated like a child. He let Chester walk him home, awkwardly silent and without quips as Chester prattled on about what would happen with their hunt, "I'm sorry you had to see that. It's not easy the first time," Malcolm grumbled, folding his arms and looking away, "A Sun Wyvern is a good haul though. Scales go for quite a bit. I'll treat you to something nice to eat when it pays out."

Malcolm said nothing, swallowing harshly when he saw the hunting team return with _wagons_ filled with dragon parts like a butcher's hut on wheels. It felt wrong to take apart such a beautiful creature. It filled Malcolm with dread thinking about the egg he had taken with him.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Malcolm declared, breaking away from the blacksmith so he could return to his hunting crew. He searched through their supplies, feeling for a warm sack of rice. He should leave the egg here or bring it back to its cave after dark. He didn't want this creature to be taken apart as well.

He opened the burlap sack, sticking one hand into the rice as a _spiny head popped out_ , "Ah!" Malcolm cried out, yanking his hand out as a golden-crowned dragon stuck its head out from the rice and chirped into Malcolm's face, "Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap," He mumbled, immediately looking around to check if anyone had noticed. Stuffing the tiny dragon back under the rice, Malcolm picked up the sack of rice and dashed off into the forest.

The egg had hatched. It never once occurred to him that this would happen so soon. When he was far enough from the camp, he opened the sack and gently poured it out, watching eggshells tumble with the grains as the tiny dragon eventually fell out. Just like the scales crowning it, the dragon was covered in fine golden and ivory scales, _just like its mother_. Malcolm swallowed at the thought. If he left this dragon out here, a small creature barely larger than a house cat, it'd surely die without a mother.

Malcolm crouched and watched the tiny beast shake off the rice, purring and loosening its scales before chirping at the boy before him, "Stop being so cute. You're a dragon," Malcolm mumbled, utterly enamoured with this needlessly adorable creature. He lowered his hand to the grass, pleasantly surprised as the dragon leapt onto his arm and climbed onto his shoulder, nipping at his hair with a toothless mouth.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Malcolm asked, reaching into his pouch for a couple pieces of goat jerky.

The dragon curiously examined the hunk of meat, tilting its head back and forth before snapping up the snack in its jaw, swallowing it whole and letting out a satisfied squeal. Malcolm took the dragon from his shoulder, holding it with both hands like one would hold a cat under its arms.

The dragon's neck was notably free of bandings, "A boy," Malcolm commented, sensing no hostility in the dragon's round eyes. He looked exactly like his mother which only made it harder for Malcolm to leave it behind, "You're a lucky dragon. Who knows what would've happened if I…" He probably wouldn't even leave a body, just a chunky stain on the floor, "L-Lucky, that's a nice name. Isn't it?" Malcolm quickly said to distract himself.

The dragon, now dubbed Lucky, chirped back in response, squirming out from Peter's hands so it could crawl back up his arm and onto his shoulder before proceeding to nibble at his hair again, "Stop that already. I'll catch you something to eat, alright?"

Although he was certain dragons couldn't understand human words, Lucky still squeaked at him happily and perched itself comfortable on his shoulder.

With the basic knowledge he had learned from Chester, Malcolm proudly caught a hare and skinned it for Lucky. The dragon was ecstatic, licking its lips as it ripped the carcass apart, swallowing the chunks whole and gagging a bit when it tried to eat too much too quickly.

"Whoa there," Malcolm said, taking the rabbit away and cutting it into pieces fit for his tiny dragon, "Chew before you swallow. But, well, I guess that's not really a choice for you," He said as he placed a finger in the dragon's jaw, noting the tiny stubs of teeth still hidden under his gums, "At least you get to eat something."

He hadn't brought anything to start a fire. He figured he'd have some gruel on his way back but he risked spending the night starving if they ran out. Lucky seemed to understand the situation, picking up a piece of meat and _charring it with fire_. Malcolm leapt as the tiniest stream of flames came from the mini beast, cooking the meat and dropping it into Malcolm's hand when the boy extended.

"For me?" Malcolm asked, chuckling as he rolled the slightly blackened, cooked meat in his hands. He popped it into his mouth, giving Lucky a wide smile while the dragon's wings lifted slightly, letting out a squawking laughter.

"Malcolm!"

Chester's bellowing voice easily cut through the sound of nature. Malcolm stood up in a panic, dropping Lucky who proceeded to nip at his leg angrily. He scrambled around, searching for bushes or ditches to hide the tiny beast. _A hollow tree_ , just big enough to fit Lucky inside, Malcolm picked the creature up and gasped as it squirmed out of its grasp and burrowed under his clothes.

"H-Hey! Get out of there," Malcolm whispered, twitching as it clung to him under his clothes, "I need to-"

"Malcolm!" Chester shouted again, breaking through the bushes and catching the boy off-guard, "What are you doing out here?"

_What was he doing out here?_ He had a bag of rice, a skinned rabbit, "I wanted some time alone."

Chester didn't looked annoyed. He ran a hand through his beard, knowing that he had screwed up as a father figure to him, "Look, Malcolm. I'm sorry I brought you on the trip. It was selfish of me just because I didn't want you messing things around in the shop," Malcolm figured this was the reason, "And I shouldn't have forced you to come with us on the hunt. A kid should never have to see that level of carnage anywhere."

Malcolm gave him a nonchalant shrug, hoping he'd just get on with it and leave so he didn't have to fight the urge to giggle as Lucky crept along his ticklish sides.

"We're heading home tomorrow and you can have the rest of the week off. What do you say?" Chester said, prompting Malcolm for an answer. The boy kept his mouth firmly shut but not for the reason Chester thought. He nodded to him in reply, "Good," Chester patted him on the shoulder and gave him a kind smile, "You did good today. Alright?" He smirked at bit at the raw rabbit sitting at Malcolm's feet, shaking his head dismissively as he handed Malcolm a flint and steel, "Did you expect to eat that raw?"

Chester chuckled as he left, figuring he should give Malcolm time to recover before taking him back. Malcolm released a breath when Chester was out of earshot, reaching into his tunic to grab the mischievous dragon, "What was that for?" He said with a smirk, chuckling when the dragon chirped back in reply and reached for his face.

After starting a fire and cooking the rabbit over it, Malcolm sat against a tree and fed the tiny creature in his lap, both of them sharing cooked pieces. One hand remained around Lucky, stroking at its fine scales while the other reached for food.

"Feels like sand," Malcolm commented, running his hands over its scaly skin. He stretched one wing out, noticing how thin and brittle it seemed. No doubt they'd grow out over time but for now, Lucky would be grounded for sure.

Lucky squealed loudly at him, annoyed when Malcolm continued to play with his wings. He snapped backwards, nipping at Malcolm's wrist to deter him before squawking once more, "Don't give me that. I was the one who protected you from Chester," He cooed, rolling the dragon onto his back so he could rub at his belly affectionately, "How about a bit of gratitude?" Lucky _purred_ under his touch, stretching back and wagging his tail quickly.

He was keeping Lucky. That was final.

 

"Psst, hey! Are you in?" Malcolm whispered, stepping into the supply shed with a plateful of mutton. The boards covering the opening in the wall had fallen over and Malcolm nearly assumed Lucky had gone out for some fresh air till a massive weight crashed into him from behind, pressing him to the ground and smothering him with nuzzles, "Oof, look how big you've grown."

In the several months since that dragon hunt, Malcolm had been keeping Lucky in the supply room, the only solo responsibility Malcolm was ever given other than shoveling coal into the kilns. Chester figured even Malcolm couldn't screw up finding things in a room. From the scorched equipment covered in bite marks from a teething dragon, Malcolm proudly proved that he could.

By now, Lucky was far too big to be satisfied with human-sized portions of food. In just a couple months, the baby dragon had grown to equal a large dog in size, dwarfing him if he stood on his hind legs. However, old habits died hard and Malcolm was still too eager to share his food with his beloved pet, "It's mutton," Malcolm said, lifting the plate he had in his hand, "Got extra for you."

Purring, Lucky remained curled up on top of Peter, shutting his eyes and loosening all of his scales before _snoring loudly_. Malcolm sputtered loudly, shoving at Lucky's golden crowned head, "Hey, get off! I'm just here to bring you something to eat," The older he got, the more Chester wanted him to do, the less he could spend time with Lucky.

To satisfy the beast, Malcolm dropped the plate on the floor and scratched at the loose scales behind Lucky's horns, his absolute favourite spot to be touched. Purring loudly, mouth opening as he chirped happily, Lucky lifted his head from Malcolm's chest and nuzzled the hand scratching him. Large, silver eyes opened, blinking twice innocently before a long tongue slipped out and lapped Malcolm across the face.

"Gross!" Malcolm exclaimed, laughing happily as Lucky continued licking his face. He slid out from under his pet, sitting on his legs as he continued scratching the scales behind Lucky's horns. He stopped when he touched the side of his mouth, immediately noting the charred feathers stuck in his teeth. No doubt he was hunting the chickens again for food, "Eat up. I know you love mutton more than me."

Wings flexing excitedly, Lucky sat back obediently as Malcolm split the plate of mutton between them, feeding small chunks to the dragon by hand, "I bet you'll be bigger than me in a couple more months," Malcolm said, feeding the bone of the meat to his dragon and watching Lucky crush it into tiny pieces with his jaw, "Hey, do you think you could fly me around when you're big enough? I always wanted to fly!"

Malcolm could've sworn he saw the dragon _nod back_ , immediately flapping its wings and chirping loudly. His jaw snapped forward, grabbing the edge of Malcolm's tunic and yanking him onto his feet, whining lovingly as he beckoned him out the window. Taking the mutton with him, Malcolm followed his dragon pet into the woods.

He knew Lucky had all the freedom he could ever want. Nothing was stopping him from leaving the village, no chains, no cages. But Lucky always came back for Malcolm. It was a friendship that Malcolm never had before.

"Catch!" Malcolm exclaimed, taking a piece of mutton and tossing it into the air.

Lucky cut through the trees easily, snapping up the mutton in midair before circling back. His wings were sturdy, creating bursts of air with every powerful beat. Malcolm could hardly believe this was the same runt of a dragon from months ago.

Stumbling backwards, Lucky had landed behind him and nudged him in the back, chirping loudly as he tried to scoop Malcolm from the ground and onto his back. Malcolm laughed playfully, climbing onto the dragon's back and watching how he nearly tumbled onto the ground from the extra weight.

"It's not going to work," Malcolm chuckled, watching Lucky desperately try to fly and barely managing to leap into the air, "Just wait till you're bigger," His smile only grew when Lucky dropped him onto the grass and began yanking at his tunic, trying to drag the boy up into the air using his jaws with no avail.

Hands wrapping around the dragon's muzzle, Malcolm pressed his cheek against the side and smiled warmly, "I love you, Lucky," He said, pressing forward when Lucky leaned in and hummed. He imagined if Lucky had a voice, he'd be saying the same thing back.

 

"Where were you?" Chester barked, dropping his gloves as he marched out from the smithy.

Malcolm shrugged nonchalantly, "Taking a break."

"You were gone for hours!" Chester shouted.

"Taking a break," Malcolm repeated, smug till a hand struck him across the face, stunning him. His lip quivered, eyes unfocused briefly before staring at Chester with faux rage, "What the hell was that for!"

"I don't have the _time_ to play your stupid games," Chester hissed back with real anger, terrifying Malcolm until he shook, "Get back inside," Not waiting for Malcolm to react, he grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him in, his touch bruising.

Malcolm knew there was work to do, an order for dragon scale armor and weaponry forged from _Lucky's mother_. He tried to put it off as long as he could, sneaking away or doing smaller tasks, but with the order coming from royalty, Malcolm had no choice but to contribute or starve as punishment. For hours, Malcolm sat by the kiln, shoveling in coal and preparing equipment while Chester hammered away on a golden scale.

Malcolm covered his mouth, unable to stop himself from imagining Lucky with his throat slit and shaved of scales. Wiping the soot from his face, he tossed his gloves back and approached the backdoor.

"No breaks," Chester growled, "Get back to work."

"Getting more coal," Malcolm replied. They were honestly running out.

When Chester dismissed him, he nearly ran out from the smithy, taking in as much fresh air as he could. His clothes stank of smoke, harsh metal, and a stench he could only attribute to smoking flesh. He took a bucket of water from the well, dunking in his blistered hands and cooling the heated flesh. He whined pathetically, eventually pouring the entire bucket over himself to cool down. The water trickled off his skin black.

Malcolm could never understand why Chester enjoyed being a blacksmith so much. His skin must've made of steel. This was a misery Malcolm could barely endure. He unlocked the supply room, stepping in carefully. Lucky was curled up on a pile of rags, snoring lightly. His ear twitched when he heard Malcolm coming in, both round eyes eventually blinking open and focusing on him.

Malcolm smiled brightly, arms extended, "Come here," He said, almost laughing as the lazy dragon stretched like a cat and shook its scales loose before stumbling over.

Hissing, eyes narrowed fiercely, Lucky drew back and snarled at Malcolm. The boy was troubled, confused, his arms still extended dumbly while Lucky bared his teeth at him, "L-Lucky?" Snorting once, Lucky continued to stalk around him, eyeing him like he was a monster.

It was only after he saw Lucky _pawing at his nose_ did Peter realized his sin. He swallowed harshly, gripping into his tunic, realizing that he wore the stench of his deceased, desecrated mother, "W-W-Wait!" Malcolm called out, watching Lucky slink back into the shadows snarling loudly. Malcolm had to fix this before Chester came looking for him. He whipped off his tunic, balling it up and tossing it into the corner along with his pants and boots.

"H-Here," Malcolm murmured, desperate to not make Lucky hate him. He fell to his knees, beckoning Lucky closer. Wary, the dragon approached slowly, pupils still slits. The lift on his lips was dropping, hiding his fangs. Malcolm reached his hands out, the blisters throbbing when he touched Lucky's heated skin. He paid it no mind, yearning comfort more than relief, "It's okay," He whispered, stroking Lucky's head, watching his pupil dilate slowly.

Lucky whined pathetically, resting his head against Malcolm's bare chest. He collapsed onto his lap, voice jerky as it continued to wail in mourning. Malcolm scratched at its scales, holding the young dragon close. He found Lucky when he was still in his egg which meant he had never once seen his mother and yet here he was, mourning her simply by scent.

"You never even saw your mother before," Malcolm whispered, sitting back against the wall and stroking the dragon laying in his lap, "Would you be happier with other dragons? You don't have to come back."

Round eyes flickered upward. A quiet whine slipped from Lucky's mouth before he clutched Malcolm close. Even though he figured Lucky didn’t understand him, Malcolm took his actions as proof of affection. He held the dragon close, promising to take care of him forever.

 

"Damn it," Malcolm muttered, shoving the metal plates stand to the back trying to cover the gaping hole in the wall Lucky used to enter. In just one month, his pet dragon had grown massive, easily matching him in height even if he stood on all fours. If Lucky were malicious, he could easily snap Malcolm in two with his jaw.

He could only hope that Chester never came by the supply room. Just a simple examination would reveal the massive hole in the back barely covered by wooden planks. Malcolm left the supply room, flinching when he noticed Chester's hunting team with him by the smithy.

"You think it's a dragon?" Chester asked.

The pale-haired woman nodded, "Judging from the missing livestock, I'd say it's at most a year or so old. It's young so it's not quite bold enough to attack the village yet," She folded her arms, "Question is, what's a dragon doing here?"

"Malcolm!" Chester shouted when he noticed the boy trying to sneak around, "Come over, this is important," He said, waiting for Malcolm to shuffle over bashfully, "There's a dragon attacking the village. I don't want you wandering around alone. Stick to the smithy and if you need to go anywhere, I'll come with you."

Malcolm scoffed loudly, folding his arms. He hated the smithy and he sure as hell wasn't going hang around it for his "safety". His gripes were cut short when Chester suddenly took him by the arm harshly, wrenching his shoulder awkwardly, "Ow, ow, ow! Okay! I heard you!" He whipped his arm away, sulking and embarrassed.

"Chester, hey," The rotund man in stained rags said, "Take it easy. He's just a kid."

Malcolm didn't want to listen to more of Chester's excuses. No more 'lessons'; no more 'he'll thank me in the future'; Malcolm tore off and ran back into the supply room, sneaking out the hole in the back to find Lucky.

 

The clearing in the woods where Malcolm once took his baby dragon to fly. Even though it was far too small now for Lucky, the dragon will returned there for sentiment's sake. Malcolm climbed over the logs, wincing when the healing blisters on his hands scraped against the bark. He could smell smoke wafting from the clearing, _a fresh kill_. He swallowed, begging for it not to be human. To his relief, it was simply a burning goat.

"Lucky?" Malcolm called out to the massive beast laying on the dirt, devouring the corpse in its claws. Lucky didn't notice him, too consumed with eating, "Lucky!" He called out, approaching the feral-looking beast.

Eyes darted his way and Malcolm froze, fearful from the wild, animalistic gaze the creature had. He swallowed once, raising his hands innocently, "It's me," He murmured, holding his breath when Lucky lifted himself off the ground and approached him.

A playful chirp came from the hulking beast, eyes wide and round as his pupils grew at the sight of Malcolm. Lucky _skipped_ over to Malcolm, purring lovingly as he licked Malcolm from head to toe. The boy cried out playfully, "Gross!" He exclaimed, laughing when Lucky lightly pounced on him, resting his massive head along Malcolm's torso before shutting his eyes and snoring loudly, "Not again."

It took all of Malcolm's strength to scratch Lucky meaningfully, working his fingers under his heavy scales and scraping at his tender flesh. Lucky's purr sounded like thunder, booming amongst the trees. Malcolm held his head in his hands, staring into his beloved dragon's eyes before nuzzling their cheeks together.

"You have to stay out here for a bit, alright?" Malcolm said, "Chester's got hunters all over the village. Stop eating livestock and stick to the woods. It'll be harder for them to catch you," He stood slowly, smiling at how Lucky lifted himself to his eye level. Shutting his eyes, Malcolm leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to Lucky's muzzle. The dragon chirped loudly, nudging back to meet him.

 

Heeding his words, Lucky remained in the woods, feeding off deer and rabbits. Malcolm frequently found charred corpses all around the clearing, had to bury them himself to prevent the hunting team from discovering the remnants, had to sabotage traps when they started appearing in the forest.

Malcolm huffed lazily, dropping into the dirt as he threw away the broken axe. What could only be described as an airborne bear trap took a good hour to dismantle and cost him an axe. He sighed, using the last of his strength to cover up Lucky's tracks before picking up his tools and heading back. As long as Lucky was safe from Chester, Malcolm didn't mind if his muscles were burning from exhaustion.

"Hey, what are you doing with those?" Chester called out, noticing how Malcolm was walking out of the woods with _a saw and shovel_.

Malcolm swallowed, choosing the shrug awkwardly and hope Chester wouldn't press on, "Shoveling," He squealed when Chester marched forward and took him by the arm once more, twisting it painfully and nearly pulling it out of its socket.

Chester dragged him back into the woods where his hunting team had set up camp, throwing him onto the dirt, "He's the one sabotaging the traps!"

The rotund man spoke up again, "What makes you say that?"

"I didn't do anything! He just beats me for fun!" Malcolm exclaimed.

"I don't have time for your stupid games!" Chester growled, his words repeated in a much darker tone, "Do you think it's funny watching people get terrorized by a dragon? Do you think it's funny preventing us from stopping the dragon?"

The hunting team was silent, all aware of Chester's frustration against his apprentice but unsure of how deep his anger went. Malcolm remained on the dirt, glaring back at Chester with all his hate, "I never asked for this. I didn't want to be a blacksmith. You bought me against my will!"

"You're _lucky_ I bought you. Your father probably would've sold you to a brothel," Chester snapped, "I should've just _let him_."

Crying out, Malcolm lunged at Chester and tackled him down, punching him in the face, letting out all the frustration of being trapped in a smithy all day. His attack was shortlived; his anger cut short as Chester struck him and held nothing back. It felt like a stone colliding with his face, his nose _shattered_. Malcolm collapsed onto the dirt, whimpering pathetically and involuntarily.

"Chester, stop!" Someone in his team protested, horrified by Malcolm's abuse.

However, before anyone could stop him, a ear-shattering screech stunned them all. Chester was knocked off his feet, tackled into the dirt by a blur like sunlight, "Oh shit!" Chester shouted in fear, scrambling backwards in the dirt as the gold dragon crept towards him, mouth puffing with flames, eyes narrowed into slits.

"Lucky!" Malcolm cried out, steadying himself as he ran towards his dragon pet. The strike to his face was disorienting him and he nearly fell right back into the dirt.

Worried, Lucky turned away from Chester, eyes dilating once more as his humanity returned. In his moment of weakness, the pale-haired woman drew her bow and _fired at the dragon's face._ Malcolm gaped, crying out fearfully when Lucky threw his head back in pain, crying out as arrows sailed into his cheek, heads designed to pierce dragon scale. He scrambled backwards, hysteric from the pain lancing through his face.

"Pin him down!" The dark-skinned woman shouted, ordering the hunting team to surrounded the dragon.

Everyone had their arrows drawn but immediately pulled back when Malcolm threw himself forward, covering Lucky's head, "Stop, please!" He shouted to deaf ears. They all had their experiences with dragons and none of them were pleasant. They had little incentive to think that this would be any different.

"Get out of the way!" Chester barked, unflinching even when Lucky snarled back at Chester.

Yanking the arrows out of his face, Malcolm took Lucky by the muzzle and hugged him close, "Please go. You have to go!" The dragon wouldn't leave, simply enduring the arrows pelting him as he backed away. If his wings were too heavily pierced, there'd be no way for him to fly off, "Leave, damn it!"

Lucky whined pathetically, nipping at Malcolm's tunic, trying to yank him off his feet. With his size, maybe he could fly him off but Malcolm didn't want to take the chance, didn't want to weigh him down, "Go!" He commanded, falling back when Lucky pounded the ground with his wings and flew past the trees. Arrows sailed upwards fruitlessly, no longer able to catch up with the dragon.

Malcolm shut his eyes, the sting of his broken nose no longer relevant. He groaned when Chester took him by the hair and dragged him to his feet, every single one of them except for the kind-hearted, rotund man berating him and condemning him. Malcolm looked to the sky, swallowing the tears as his only friend left him behind.

_Was it too late to ask Lucky to fly him away too?_

\---

 

The migrating dragons always brought back kind memories for Pan. He stood upon the cliff, watching silver-scaled dragons fly off into the distance, leaving Neverland through the Second star. Another family would take their place and the cycle would repeat.

"Bye Snowy! Snowball! Fred! Snowflake-" Nibs shouted, waving to the disappearing silver-white blur, "I hope we get more Snow Wyrms this time."

Pan chuckled at his words, "Doubtful. Snow Wyrms only migrate once a decade," He turned to his boys, noting how they were already setting up a makeshift camp for 'Dragon Migrating Season'. He smirked at them, "Don't you boys have better things to do?"

Curly, busy setting up the firepit, shrugged in reply, "All the boys enjoy it. The little'uns like it. And the ocean is nearby so we can fish for food," He stood when the flame in the pit grew, fanning it gently with his hands, "We should keep an eye out for the dragons too, in case they're Blood Drakes."

A knowing smile spread across Pan's face, "Stay vigilant then."

Peter almost wanted to laugh at them. As if they'd ever need to be on the lookout for dragons, Pan could feel every single creature crossing realms into Neverland. Leisurely flying around the island, Pan eventually felt a shudder in Neverland's magic, the fabric between realms rippling for a brief moment. He smiled; the dragons were here. He lifted his eyes to the sky, immediately catching a _golden shimmer_ amongst the clouds.

"Sun wyvern," He murmured, smiling absently as four relatively young dragons cut across the sky. He smirked, quite small for a migrating family, perhaps they were just flying by. He turned towards the cliffs, already catching Nibs's excited clamor when they caught sight of the dragons. Had Pan not had an image to protect, he'd probably be joining Nibs in his excitement.

_Pan loved dragons_. That was something that would never change even when he left Malcolm behind. He followed the four dragons on the island, eventually tracking them down to the Mermaid Lagoon where they bathed themselves. He lay on his stomach on a nearby cliff, watching them gleefully play in the water.

_Snow wyrms, friendly due to their great power. Very sociable with humans._

_Sun Wyvern, tolerable of humans. Have major issues with dirt._ Pan mentally noted, chuckling when he watched one of the dragons whine despairingly when it couldn't scrape off a patch of dirt on its hind leg. He laughed when one of its siblings promptly hurled a ball of dirt into its back, splattering its beautiful scales. While the dragons tumbled around as they play wrestled, Pan quickly noted one of the siblings standing far away, perched at the edge of mermaid lagoon. It was smaller than its siblings and didn't want to join their games even when they prodded him. Promptly, the largest of the siblings tackled the bashful one into the water, immediately initiating another play-wrestling match and eventually cajoling it to join the rest of them.

Pan wished he could approach but he knew they weren't like the Snow Wyrms. He didn't want to scare them off, especially the _Sun Wyvern_. They made him feel so much closer to Lucky. His breath hitched, the phantom sting of a hand grasping his hair and a broken nose at the thought of his first friend.

Pan watched them by the lagoon till they eventually flew off, flying over his head and into the heart of Neverland to find a roost. Lifting his hands, he lowered the sun past the horizon, night falling upon Neverland before he returned to his tree house to rest.

 

"What is going on here?" Pan said, crossing his arms as Slightly and Tootles stacked barrels of water all around camp.

"Ever since those dragons came," Tootles explained, "Our camp has been getting raided every night when everyone's asleep. First few times, a couple drums went missing, a fishing net, baskets. Then we started losing entire tents, huts, dried meat racks."

Pan narrowed his eyes, disbelieving of Tootles's naïve explanation, "Dragons don't raid."

Tootles scoffed, " _I_ know that but everyone else is convinced that it's the dragons. Hence the water," He rested an elbow on one of the barrels, letting Slightly march back to the river alone for another barrel, "At least we don't have to walk all the way to the river if we're thirsty at night."

A shout at the far grove startled them all. All the boys who were thoroughly convinced that the dragons were behind this immediately grabbed their spears and buckets of water. Tootles and Pan casually made their way towards the source of the shout.

Curly was on the ground, fruit scattered all over with Slightly kneeling to him. Tootles hummed thoughtfully, wondering how fast Slightly must've ran to get from the river to the grove so quickly, "What happened?" Tootles asked.

"There was a boy. He was rushing towards the camp and he ran into me," Curly replied.

Slightly let out a short laugh, "You were screaming because a Lost Boy ran into you? _Lame_."

Curly rolled his eyes, shoving Slightly away when the boy offered a hand to help him up, "It wasn't a Lost Boy. I never saw him before in my life! And he was…well…he was naked," He huffed when Slightly promptly exploded with laughter, "Really!"

"What did he look like? You know, other than being naked," Tootles asked, secretly snickering at how flustered Curly was from Slightly's mocking laughter.

"Blond, skinny, tall," Curly said.

Tootles smiled brightly, "Slightly, are you streaking in front of Curly?"

Despite the lightheartedness of the Lost Boys, Pan was uncharacteristically _solemn_ with this revelation. Curly was not a liar so if he truly ran into someone he didn't recognize, Pan could believe it. He phased himself out of the crowd of Lost Boys, wondering how this boy could've gotten into Neverland without him noticing.

Long ago, Chester told him about wise, old dragons that had gained enough power to turn themselves into a human. However, the beasts he observed in the sky still looked young, their behaviour was still juvenile.

"Don't worry boys!" Pan exclaimed, diverting everyone's attention to him, "I'll take care of him."

Ironically, all the boys had already forgotten about their assailant and was too preoccupied with ruining Slightly's day.

 

The moon was at its apex in the sky. Night had fallen upon Neverland once more and Pan willed all the boys to sleep with a magic spell. He sat in the shadows himself in a cloak, waiting for their mysterious assailant. All of their constructs and trinkets had been put away, leaving a single meat drying rack at the center of the camp. To make the bait juicier, Pan conjured up an assortment of meat jerky all over the rack.

Now it was a waiting game, Pan's _least_ favourite kind of game but he'd wait it out to see this mysterious invader. To his relief, the figure was _already at the camp_ , sneaking around the sleeping boys like a cat. Pan blinked, nearly missing the figure slinking around in the shadows. He could make out the boy from the sparse moonlight cutting through the trees: Blond, tall, and naked as Curly said. He failed to mentioned the _crooked scar_ across his face, making the boy look feral.

Pan curiously watched the boy _sniff the meat rack_ , searching through each piece of meat before lighting up at the piece furthest from the left. Salivating, the boy grabbed the jerky and wolfed it down, tearing at it with his teeth and swallowing hefty chunks at a time. He snickered, watching the boy for just another second before raising his hand and summoning the roots to grab him.

To his surprise, _the boy leapt out of the way._ Pan flinched, leaping to his feet when he saw the tall boy dodge his magic, "Not bad," Pan hissed, chasing after the boy into the woods. The invader must've had some sort of magic prowess; that was probably how he snuck into Neverland undetected. Pan gave chased, almost unable to keep up with the feral boy without using magic.

Snarling, Pan teleported himself ahead, gasping when the boy _dodged him_ , somehow reacting in the split second he had before Pan materialized. _No freaking way!_ Throwing all caution aside, running purely on instinct, Pan dove at the boy and tackled him into the dirt, both of them rolling down a small cliff and into a pile of dirt, sticks, and leaves. Pan willed the clouds to part, grinning wildly as he pinned the lanky boy onto the dirt.

The boy looked scared under him, pouting like a child and whimpering. In the light, Pan could see how the scar stretched across his cheek and over the bridge of his nose. It was bizarrely shaped with a small tic down his cheek.

"You and I are going to have a little chat," Pan said, an almost sadistic smile on his face.

The whimpering ceased immediately when the blond boy met Pan's eyes, immediately replaced with _awe._ Pan narrowed his eyes, confused at his prisoner's sudden relief, "What's so funny?" Pan asked when the boy laughed under him, trembling with glee.

The boy yanked upward suddenly, _licking the tip of Pan's nose_. Gasping, Pan stumbled off the boy, rubbing at his face and staring at him like a madman. The boy laughed in Pan's face, running off into the woods, "Get back here!" Pan exclaimed, purple with indignation as he chased the boy into the woods.

Pan found himself at a clearing, unable to pinpoint where the naked boy had ran off to. He nearly cursed till the moon was suddenly blotted out from the sky. Before Pan could even react, he was swept away by the jaws of a _Sun Wyvern_ , its golden scales shimmering in the moonlight like liquid gold. Pan struggled in its grasp, unable to use his hands to conjure magic or teleport away. His eyes were locked onto the creature's folded wings, nearly covering the entire sky when its wings were fully spread. He gasped, shutting his eyes when a giant current of air pushed through the trees, stirring up the leaves and sticks like a storm as the dragon took to the air and soared into the skies.

Barely able to keep his eyes open, Pan pressed his head against the creature's lips, the wind whipping at him savagely as the dragon cut through the air ferociously, wings beating powerfully. Peeking through when the air beating against his face weakened, Pan could see them nearing one of the mountains. That must've been where their roost was and Pan was being taken as a _prize._ He growled, struggling to no avail, trying to free himself and teach this dragon a lesson for treating him like an object.

Slowing down, wings beating quickly as the dragon slowed his descent, perching on the edge with its hind legs before crawling in slowly. His wings folded back, a mystifying feat considering how they covered massive ground when spread. While piles of gold and other sparkling spoils filled the cave, this dragon headed towards a pile of tents, drums, and makeshift furniture. _So this dragon really was raiding their camp._ Yet, how did he turn into a boy?

Pan was thrown forward, landing on a pile of cushions the dragon must've stolen from the Little Ones' camp. He backed up, sliding over the tarp the boys used to cover their tents, "Enough!" Pan barked at the massive beast approaching him, "I am the _king_ of Neverland and I will not be pushed around by a-" His breath was knocked right out of him when the dragon laid its massive head onto his body, flattening him right into his hoard. Pan shoved at the creature's massive head, his entire torso and legs pinned down, "Get off of-!" _Loud snoring_ cut him off and Pan blinked several times.

Cautiously, Pan ran his hands over the right side of the dragon's face, feeling the rigid, crooked flesh of a scar under broken, jagged scales. Battle wounds from _arrows sailing into his face._ A smile stretched across his face involuntarily, reaching up his muzzle and wishing he could scratch the tender spot behind his horns.

"L-Lucky," Pan whispered lovingly, stroking at his jaw and feeling a deep rumble in the back of the dragon's throat, _purring._

Silver eyes opened slowly, appearing like moonlight reflecting off the golden scales. Pan smiled, reaching out to his long lost pet before smoke wrapped around the dragon's body. Pan waited patiently, feeling the weight lift from him, replaced with a much lighter heft. Pan gasped when the smoke cleared, finding the naked blond in Lucky's place.

The boy peered up. Only now did Pan realize the beautiful shade of silver the boy had. A large smile on his face, a dreamy look in his eyes, the boy crept up Pan's chest to stare at him, "I love you too!" He exclaimed, tackling Pan into the cushions and promptly _licking his face._

"W-Whoa! Hey!" Pan shouted, flailing under the eager dragon-turned-human. He pushed at his head, fighting the urge to laugh when the boy continued licking his palms like nothing had changed, "Lucky! Humans don't lick each other!"

The blond blinked, eyes narrowing in confusion as Pan contradicted his natural instinct, "Then what do they do?"

Really, this was the last conversation they should be having but with human Lucky staring at him with such wide-eyed innocence, Pan couldn't resist, "Well, humans _kiss_ each other for affection," The blond stared at him in confusion, "You know, when your lips press together…"

"Ohhh," Lucky replied, nodding back with a smile, "Kissing," He confirmed before pressing forward and claiming Pan's lips in a kiss.

Honestly, Pan thought being crushed under and kissed by a naked, dragon-human would be far more pleasurable. Lucky had no idea what he was doing which Pan expected but was still somehow disappointed by. Pan sputtered lightly, twisting away from Lucky's persistent lips, "L-Lucky, let me sit up!" He sighed when the boy collapsed onto his chest, shutting his eyes and pretending to sleep to pin him down. Relenting, Pan sighed heavily and stroked a hand through the coarse blond hair, "We really need to find a new name for you."

Lucky perked up, immediately awake and staring at Pan with confusion, "I like Lucky."

"It's not very human sounding," Pan said, stroking Lucky's cheek with his palm and smiling when the dragon boy nuzzled him back, "How about _Felix_? It means lucky and it sounds nice."

The boy, newly christened Felix, smiled in return, "I like Felix."

"I figured you would," Pan replied, sliding out from under him to sit up, "Where have you been all this time?"

"With my family," Felix replied with a small smile, "I found them after we were…separated. They were back where you found me. Where my mom…" He lowered his head briefly, pausing from the painful memory before slowly perking up, "You should meet them. You'll like them."

Pan raised a hand, stroking the side of Felix's head gently, "Can they turn into humans too?"

Brows knitted slightly, Felix shook his head, "No. It's just me. I don't know why," He said, "When I came to Neverland, I thought I saw you and I couldn't stop thinking about you and then… here I am," He gestured to himself, completely unbothered by his nakedness.

"Neverland's magic," Pan muttered to himself, listening to Felix's desires and gifting him a human form. He smirked, reclining back on the mountain of cushions.

"What about you? How did you get here?" Felix asked, leaning forward until he was nearly sitting on Pan's lap, "How are you so young?"

Smirking, Pan beckoned his former pet closer, letting the blond curl up in his lap while he stroked his hair like a cat, "Settle in. It's a long story," He smiled when Felix lapped at his finger lovingly, "You need to learn how to act like a human."

A booming roar outside alerted both of them. Felix leapt to his feet, almost jittering with excitement as he stood up and waved eagerly to his siblings flying into the nest, "Over here!" He cheered. Peter swore Felix's tail would be whipping side to side maddeningly if he were in dragon form.

Three golden dragons landed before Peter. The largest one had bands on the side of its neck: _A female_. The rest lacked such features. Felix's older sister came forward first, lowering her head so Felix could clutch at her muzzle lovingly.

"This is my sister!" Felix announced, "She's the greatest."

The second largest one had already left to his hoard, perched at the very top of a pile of shimmering silvers as he nipped at his scales, picking away the dirt. Felix scrambled up the hoard, clutching at his brother's leg, "This is my brother. And that one-" Felix gasped suddenly, body tense as his teeth bared angrily.

Peter hadn't understood Felix's reaction until he felt a dragon nudging his back. He turned, noting how the dragon pestering him immediately shrunk away shyly, waiting for a reaction from Peter before pressing forward and sniffing him gently, _licking him when everything was safe._

Felix leapt off his brother's overly clean hoard, a smoke surrounding him as he transformed into a dragon and encircled Pan, covering him under his chin, wrapping his claws around him, and hiding both of them under his wings. He whined at his brother, claiming Pan for himself. Smothered by Felix's embrace, Pan laughed, voice bouncing against the scales. He reached up, scratching at the tender skin beneath his massive scales, loving how Felix's purr sounded like thunder rolling amongst the clouds.

Smoke engulfed them both, Felix shifting back to his human form with Pan in his arms. He nuzzled his owner, pouting at his bashful brother who retreated back to his hoard, "My Malcolm."

Peter smiled, stroking a hand through Felix's golden hair, "We've got a _lot_ to catch up on."

 

"Oh my god, dragons!" Nibs exclaimed, leaping onto Felix's sister and hugging her muzzle.

The boys were ecstatic as four golden-scaled dragons landed at their camp, folding their wings and settling down. As soon as Pan stepped assured them that the dragons would do them no harm, all of them rushed over to greet their new companions.

Tootles stood back, chuckling amusedly, "How'd you get Sun Wyverns to play with the boys?"

Pan smirked, stroking Felix's muzzle affectionately, "I'm just good with dragons, I guess."

A brotherly pat to his shoulder and a 'good job' later, Felix snarled and shifted into his human form, clinging to Pan in his pure, naked form, "No!" He shouted at Tootles, "My Mal- _Peter Pan_. My Peter Pan," He looked to Pan, winking at him as if this was some inside joke.

"By the way, this is Felix," Pan said, patting the tall blond's head, "Felix, Tootles."

"You can call me Lucky too!"

Tootles blinked several times, unable to process the image of a six-foot naked boy clinging to Pan with his legs and arms coiled around him, "Why am I not surprised?"

When Tootles backed off, Felix lowered himself from Pan, standing in front of him and smoothing out his clothes, "You're the best, Peter."

Pan chuckled at the sound of his name on Felix's tongue, "Most of the boys call me Pan but for you, I guess it's alright," He swept a hand over Felix's bare chest, "You should wear something. You're making the boys awkward," He waved his hand, covering Felix with a fine green smoke as ragged clothing materialized on the lanky blond's body.

The dragon boy's face immediately scrunched in disdain, "I don't like it. It's itchy."

"Covering up nudity is a very important thing for humans," Pan explained in an exaggerated tone that he knew Felix would take seriously. He straightened out Felix's cloak, pleased by how well he wore the Lost Boys' colours, "So, since the Lost Boys are keeping your siblings company," He nodded over to them, noting how all three dragons were gleefully playing around with the boys climbing all over them, "Why don't we spend some time together? We've got a lot of catching up to do."

Lighting up, Felix was so excited, he couldn't even squeak out a single word. He shifted into his dragon form, picking Peter up onto his back and finally living out the wishes they had back in the Enchanted Forest. _Malcolm sitting on his back as he cut through the winds, sharing the breathtaking experience of soaring into the skies_.

Felix purred as he flew, loving the weight of Peter on his back clutching into the spines along his back. He felt Peter tugging at scales, guiding him to the highest mountain on the island. Obeying, Felix tilted his body, angling himself towards the mountain. He purposely went slow as he closed in, trying to relish the feel of Peter upon him for just a bit longer before swooping in slowly and landing, folding up his wings and waiting for Peter to climb off of him.

"Very good," Pan said, sitting at the edge of the cliff and patiently waiting for Felix to join him in human form. He fought the urge to sigh in relief when Felix draped himself over his shoulder. Lucky and Malcolm, finally reunited, if Pan were still his previous self, he may have cried in joy, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Felix said, shutting his eyes, "I've always dreamed about this."

Pan snickered, feeling Felix's arm coil around his waist, "Being human?"

Felix nodded, "All the time. All I wanted was to be human so I could be with you instead of being locked up in a storage room," He absently played with the loose threads on Pan's tunic, "Every time you talked to me, I wished I could respond back," He smirked mischievously, narrowing his eyes and glancing up at Pan, "Like that one time you got a rash on your dick and I wanted to tell you that it was from Ghost Weed."

Stiffening, Pan immediately flickered his gaze to Felix and glared, "How do you remember that?"

"I remember a lot of things," Felix replied, smiling back smugly, "Like how you told me you had a crush on the baker's daughter and you wanted to use me to impress her?"

Pan flinched at the reminder, remembering how Lucky shortly after set the storage room on fire and back then, Malcolm had yet to put the pieces together, "Y-You knew what I was saying?" Pan wasn't sure if he should be ecstatic or horrified when Felix nodded back. More than anything when he was younger, he wished Felix could understand him like a normal human being yet all of the unfortunate secrets he whispered gave the dragon boy plenty of embarrassing blackmail.

Turning up his nose, Pan huffed loudly and backed away from the edge, marching away with faux annoyance, "You breathe a word of that to anyone and I'm kicking you off Neverland!"

He heard the ground shake behind him. Felix was shifting into his dragon form. Before Pan could ponder what he was doing, he felt a gentle nudge to his back before _whining_ echoed from Felix's throat. Pan dared to turn around and immediately regret his decision, staring back at two round, tearful eyes dilated with sadness, lips pulled into a pout, saddened whining whistling through his nose.

_Damn you for being so cute!_

"C'mere!" Pan shouted, immediately dropping his annoyance and scratching at the tender parts on Felix's head, loving how the dragon twisted into his touch affectionately. Pan loved dragons and Felix, Lucky, his first real friend, held a place deep in his heart.

The dragon disappeared from his gasp, turning back into the lanky blond boy Pan had already grown accustomed to. Felix leaned forward, embracing Pan suddenly, whispering sweet words into his hair, "Back then, I remember you ran into the storage room crying once," Felix murmured. Pan froze briefly, recalling that awful time when he had accidentally stuck his hand into a forging sword and ended up scolded by Chester for ruining the sword he was crafting. He ran to Lucky, sobbing into the tiny dragon when he still fit in his arms, "I wanted to comfort you and hold you and tell you everything would be okay but I couldn't do anything but hold you back," He lowered his gaze, tracing Pan's hands and noting how his soft skin was unblemished by the burns, "But now I can."

Softened by his words, letting down Peter Pan's walls briefly so _Malcolm_ could shine through, Pan lifted a hand and traced Felix's cheek, thumb resting on his scar, "Did this hurt?" Pan asked, remembering how his injury came from protecting Malcolm from Chester.

"A little," Felix replied.

"I can heal it for you."

"No," Felix shook his head, "It's my trophy. I got this scar protecting you," He laughed when Peter's hands trailed to his neck, scraping at it just as he once did when Lucky still fit in his arms, "P-Peter, I want to join the Lost Boys."

Nothing would've made Pan happier but he didn't want to bring pain to Felix, "What about your family?"

"I guess they'll migrate when the time comes," Felix replied. It was natural for a dragon to migrate from place-to-place. Chester taught Peter that this nature was ingrained in them even if they found an ideal place to nest, "But I won't go."

After all these years, Lucky remember Malcolm, yearned for him, and finally when they were reunited, even with their lives in perfect working order, Felix would throw it all away to be with Pan.

A toothy smile on his face, Pan shoved Felix backwards off the cliff, watching the dragon boy understand his intention completely and shift back into his dragon form, circling the cliff before landing and perching in front of Pan.

"I've got a lot to teach you about being a Lost Boy," He chuckled, reaching up to stroke the side of Felix's head, "If you're up for it."

Letting out a happy, glorious roar, Felix lifted Pan onto his back and flew off happily.

 

As time passed, the seasons changing subtly even if Pan kept the temperature warm, Felix knew his family would be migrating soon, knew this would be one of the last times he'd see them. He sat back on the cliff in his dragon form, tail wagging like an excited pup while Peter sat beside his head, stroking at his muzzle lovingly as they watched the three Sun Wyverns cascade through the air while carrying boys on their back. Felix memorized their patterns, engraving his family into his mind even if he could not follow them.

"Those harnesses are pretty well-made," Pan commented. Felix snorted in reply. During their time with the dragons, the boys had worked diligently to create saddles and harnesses to keep themselves from falling off the dragons as they flew, "Wonder where they learned how to make them."

The scales shifted under his hands, replaced with soft skin. Felix lowered himself, sitting close beside Peter with clothes fully materialized on his body, "One of the boys said they came from a village of dragon riders."

"Oh? That sounds useful," Pan replied before caressing Felix's cloak, "And you materialized your clothes properly this time."

"Of course. I don't want you ogling at me all the time," Felix replied.

"I thought you liked being ogled," Pan haughtily replied, eyes narrowing when Felix's lips pulled into a smirk.

"Not as much as I like watching you beg for it," Felix purred, eyes half lidded.

Tonguing the inside of his cheek, Pan reached out suddenly and grabbed Felix's cheeks with his hands, holding him still so he could glare into his eyes, " _Lucky_ , don't forget who your master is."

_Lucky_. Despite Pan trying to use his true name in a threatening manner, Felix could only feel warmth when it came from his master's lips. He leaned forward, eventually collapsing his weight onto Peter and resting his head on his chest. He shut his eyes immediately, faking a snore as he compressed Pan onto the ground.

A hand carded through his hair, a soft smile on Pan's face as he comforted the dragon, "You can ask your family to stay. Neverland's got plenty of space for them."

"They have to go," Felix said, pushing himself up off Pan's chest so he could stare back at him, "Dragons only consume and hoard. That's why they have to leave or else they'll consume everything in a single spot. Neverland would become a wasteland," He stroked a hand through Pan's hair, mimicking the same movement Pan would please him with, "Thank you though."

Peter wanted to chuckle, remembering a similar explanation from Chester when he tried to reason with Malcolm why dragon hunting was beneficial to everyone. Malcolm never accepted a single word of it.

A gust of air struck them from behind. Peter turned to see Felix's brother, the smaller, bashful one, landing behind them with a half eaten bison in its mouth. Padding over lightly, the dragon gently placed the bison at Peter's feet, chirping pleasantly before nudging him lovingly with his muzzle.

"Um, thank you?" Peter replied, laughing when the dragon's tongue peaked out and lapped gently at Peter's chest.

A hiss came from Felix as smoke filled the air, great golden wings spreading as they covered Peter. Felix snarled lightly, hugging Pan possessively to himself with his wings. He took the bison, crushing it in its jaws before swallowing it nearly whole. His brother whined loudly, nudging at Felix's wings, begging for them to _share_ but Felix would not have it. Moments later, after a few apologetic nips were shared, Felix's brother flew off, joining the rest of his family in the air.

"You proved your point. Now let me out!" Pan shouted, muffled under Felix's heavy wings. He crawled out from Felix's grasp, sliding up against the side of his head and scratching at the tender spots beneath his scales, "You'll always be my number one dragon."

Purring, ears curling as Pan whispered into them, Felix shifted himself back into human form, smoke encircling both of them as he stared into Pan's eyes and _kissed him on the lips_ , holding for a few good minutes before pulling away, dreamy smile staring back at utter confusion.

Felix's breath hitched, "I-I… uh-oh," Had he overstepped his boundaries? He _loved_ Peter Pan, more than anything in the entire world, and the days he spent watching Chester and his multitude of lovers showed him exactly how he needed to express his affection. Perhaps this was too much, perhaps he was wrong, he hung his head, ready to apologize until hands came around his cheeks and yanked their mouths together.

Pan's lips were soft, tongue slow, working Felix's gently. His hands stayed upon Felix's narrow face, lightly caressing the scar as he continued kissing him. The smoke had faded by then, leaving their sudden affair open for everyone to see. Pan and Felix were utterly shameless about it, even when Felix failed to materialize clothes onto his own body from the distraction.

"Oh Lucky," Pan hummed, pulling away so they could rest their forehead against each other.

Before they could share another kiss or comment on Felix's nakedness, a rustle in the trees startled Felix away. Pan was already fully aware of the intruder, a stray dragon that had wandered into Neverland a few weeks back. He expected the dragon to leave, most likely using Neverland as a pit stop, but the creature remained and curiously, _stalked Felix around_.

"Who's there?" Felix snarled, nearly shifting into dragon form before Pan covered him with a cloak, "Peter?"

"He's harmless," Pan replied, "You can come out now."

Felix picked up the scent of metallic scales and peppery smoke, the telltale signs of another dragon, but to his surprise, a boy stepped out. Skin tanned, eyes sharp and dark, and most notably, jet black hair streaked with red, Felix had never seen a boy like this and most certainly not a dragon.

Two steps forward, before Felix could even react, the boy dropped to his knees and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Please let me join the Lost Boys!"

"…huh?" Felix choked out, looking to Pan, so utterly confused.

Pan smiled, looking back and forth between his two humanoid dragons, "We'll talk at the Mermaid Lagoon."

 

"What's your name?" Felix asked, fully clothed as he sat upon a plateau of shale rock.

The olive-skinned boy blinked, pressing his lips together contemplatively, "Well, the ringmaster used to call me 'Rufio' so I guess I'm Rufio," He kept his eyes on Felix, despite the boy's obvious annoyance, "It's incredible."

"Anything's possible in Neverland," Pan replied, stretching back casually despite the confusion between Rufio and Felix, "Felix wanted to be a human. Neverland made it real. That's the same for you too."

"You're a dragon then, like me?" Felix asked.

Rufio nodded back eagerly, leaping off the plateau and onto the beach, "Watch!" Concentrating deeply, fine crimson smoke covered him as a tail extended from his center, wings bursting from the clouds and dispersing the smoke. Even from Felix's standards, Rufio's dragon form was _impressively large_ , with pitch black scales like the night and red streaks along his body. His jaw was lined with teeth which were all notably sawed into nubs. His claws were of similar state but even with the disability, they were massive compared to Felix's.

"What in the world…" Felix mumbled, leaping across the shale rock to examine Rufio up close. He pressed his hands over his scales, noting the tiny _barbs_ at the edges. Unlike the pacifistic Sun Wyverns, Rufio was a _creature of war_ , yet this boy was utterly bubbly and harmless. Felix hands drifted along his neck, noting a thick, banded scar along the underside ruining the perfect, inky blackness of his body, "What's this?"

The red smoke returned, Rufio fetching his cloak from the ground and covering himself, " _My collar_ , before I broke out of it," He explained, voice faltering only briefly as he explained, "Were you the same? Is that why you're here?"

Felix shook his head, "Peter was my master when I was young," He looked to Pan who remained sitting casually on the shale stone, "He was the greatest master I could've ever had. And then I found my family before we migrated here," His life was kind, even if there were few terrible moments. Unlike Rufio's life, "Uh…Sorry."

"It's fine. Talking about it makes it easier," Rufio replied. He wandered around the beach, catching a glimpse of Felix here and there before looking to the sky as Felix's siblings soared above. His eyes widened, his whole body jittering excitedly.

"What is it?" Felix asked.

"You're so beautiful," Rufio exclaimed before retracting his comment immediately, "I-I mean, golden dragons are beautiful! Their scales and their wings and-and. I wish I looked like you."

Felix sputtered with laughter, "Have you seen how you look? You're the coolest dragon I've ever seen."

"Do you really mean that?" Rufio asked, stepping closer to Felix.

Felix tilted his head, wondering why Rufio looked so in awe at his words, "Of course. You're my age but twice my size. You're pitch black with _red_ streaks. Even your hair looks the same."

"You like my hair?" Rufio perked up more, nearly jumpy as he moved in closer.

From Pan's perspective, _too close,_ "Alright! Break it up!" Pan exclaimed, hovering over and shoving the dragons aside. It was perfectly fine for Felix to make friends with other dragons but there were certainly limitations to it, "So, you want to join the Lost Boys?"

Rufio nodded slowly, eyes turned to the sky once more as he eyed Felix's siblings from afar, "I do. More than anything. But seeing Felix and his family… I want to find my family first," He looked to Pan, fully aware that the Lost Boys were all abandoned or unloved by their families from his days of surveillance, "Can I do that? It's against the rules, isn't it?"

Felix looked to Pan who had the perfect remark saved up for this moment, "Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they?" Pan replied devilishly, trying not to react when Felix glowed at his words, "Dragons have an exception here. Go find your family, bring them to Neverland for migration, and then you can decide whether you want to stay or not."

Smoke filled the air; Felix spread his wings, crooning happily as he licked Peter eagerly. Red smoke joined him shortly after, Rufio's grand dragon form dwarfing Felix's as he spread his pitch black wings, casting artificial night over mermaid lagoon as he swept through the cliffs, daring Felix to chase him before the two tussled playfully in the sand and water.

Rufio left hours later, flying back up into the portal in the stars while Felix and Peter watched from the mermaid lagoon, the night sky perfectly shrouding the pitch black dragon. He didn't bother staying for the bonfire or to meet Felix's family, too eager to find his own family and bring them here. Felix wrapped an arm around Pan's waist, resting against him, pleased with his actions towards Rufio.

Pan returned the embrace, completely unaware of the tragedy he had brought upon Felix.

 

"Blood Drakes!" Tootles declared, slamming at the makeshift gong in his hands, "Everyone to the swamps NOW!"

The forest was on fire, the smoke too thick to see through, turning Neverland into a hellish landscape. The boys were scattered in the forest, some dying from the heat, some suffocating from the smoke, some of them _picked off by the Blood Drakes_. Giant beasts fell from the sky like pieces of the night, pitch black voids blotting out the sun with their massive forms. With every beat of their wings, trees were ripped from their roots, storm winds tearing through Neverland like a sentient tornado.

Pan was barely able to keep himself upright, searching through the abandoned camp, stepping over the corpses of Lost Boys that succumbed to the smoke and flames, "Felix!" He cried out, gasping when a pitch black dragon landed before him, its screech deafening him as it hurled a blue puff of fire.

Clothes singed from the heat, whole body smarting, Pan was barely able to teleport away, tumbling to the cliffs of the Mermaid Lagoon. He stood, horrified at the sight of his Neverland wrapped up in flames, dominated by beasts of pitch black darkness.

Pitch black darkness, _save for the red streaks along its body._

A flash of gold distracted him. Pan turned, seeing a twinkle of gold amongst the mountains. _The hoards_ , no doubt the Blood Drakes would be there to steal their hoards while the Sun Wyverns would foolishly protect them.

Pan flew as fast as he could, the smoke and flame engulfing Neverland damping his magic. He charged ahead, losing control and rolling onto the cliff as he heard an animalistic _scream_ of terror. He forced the smoke aside with his magic, watching as the smallest wyvern, the bashful one, tore out from the cave _with a missing leg_ , screaming in pain.

There was barely any time to react to the awful image as three Blood Drakes descended upon him, clawing at his wings, ripping them to shreds before all of them dug their claws into his body and _yanked_. Pan gasped in horror as gold and blood rained from the skies, the Sun Wyvern _rend to pieces._

"No, no, no," Pan mumbled, rushing into the cave, seeing a glint of gold and shouting, "Felix!" He cried out before pitch black shadow covered everything. He was tossed back with a gust of wings, rolling in the dirt as he saw the largest Sun Wyvern, _Felix's sister_ , fighting back against a single Blood Drake.

Fiercer than her brethren, standing upon the corpse of a Blood Drake she had slain herself, she roared menacingly at her next assailant. She charged, clawing at the beast, using the confined space of the cave to her advantage as she sunk her teeth into its neck, threatening to crush it just like she had to the other one.

Pan didn't understand at first, the eldest sister screaming in pain, her jaws suddenly filled with her own blood. A puff of flame illuminated the cave and Pan could see: _Barbed scales_ detached from the Blood Drake and piercing the golden dragon's mouth. Struck with the drake's tail, the golden dragon hit the wall with such force, the entire mountain _trembled_ from the impact. Claws were upon her, crushing her into the dirt while she wailed and struggled fruitlessly.

"Stop!" Pan cried out, horrified as the larger dragon _mounted her_ , claiming his prize for victory. It all went to hell when she _fought back_ , refusing to be his mate. Forcing her onto her back, the Blood Drake let out a furious cry before _sinking its teeth into her stomach and ripping it open._ The same fate as Felix's mother.

Pan tore away, cowering under the rocks as the dragons that had torn apart Felix's brother returned to desecrate his sister. He forced himself to calm down, shutting his eyes and searching the ruined island for the remaining Sun Wyverns. To his relief, he found them together, _alive_ , but just barely. He teleported to them, choking on the smoke and skin blistering from the heat as he approached the battlefield.

Golden scales littered the floor, scattered amongst the blood. Using his magic, Pan forced the smoke to dissipate, horrified to see Felix's final sibling fighting the largest Blood Drake within the pack with thick bands across its neck, _the matriarch._ Felix's throat caught in his massive jaw. The final Sun Wyvern brother had no time to react, no time to fight, no time to run, as massive claws covered his entire body and crushed him into the dirt, claws wrapping around his head and simply _squeezing_. It sounded like every time Malcolm ruined one of Chester's works, sizzling metal crumbling and cracking like chalk.

"Stop!" Pan shouted, forcing the dragon's jaw open with his magic.

The enormous beast snarled monstrously unlike any dragon Pan had ever seen. Now he understood why Chester ended the hunt so long ago, now he knew the horror that came from the Blood Drakes. Pan aimed to break the dragon's jaw with his magic but his fear limited his strength, managing only to free Felix's unconscious form.

The golden dragon fell to the dirt, twitching painfully, covered in blood and broken scales. Pan shoved the Blood Drake back, running towards Felix and touching his cheek, begging for him to wake up, "Felix, Felix, please!" He whined, clinging to his beloved pet as the matriarch approached, her massive jaws stained with centuries worth of blood and smoke. Pan closed his eyes, trying to will them both away as blue flames flickered from her mouth.

A cry interrupted them all, startling the matriarch as a smaller Blood Drake flew over. Pan eyed the scarring around his neck, swallowing heavily as _Rufio_ stood between them, expression soft and innocent unlike his murderous family. Pan immediately noted Rufio's eyes: Dark brown, _mixed breed_ , unlike his matriarch's cold white eyes.

Without even batting an eye, the matriarch swiped her claws and hurled Rufio into the trees, screeching at the foolish beast, berating his _lack of bloodlust_. Pan could take no more. All the horrific images he had seen, finally realizing the horror Chester had protected him from so long ago and damning how he hadn't bothered paying attention, Pan released Felix and summoned all of his magic. Storm clouds filled the air, rain quelled the fires, the matriarch looked upon Pan like vermin, unaware of the god that stood before her. He apologized to Felix, wishing he could have found the courage and strength before to stop this massacre as he charged at the beast, reaching into her soul and _ripping out her shadow with all his strength._

" _Damn it_ ," Pan choked, stumbling as he landed and collapsing onto his knees. He took deep, shaky breaths, having used too much of his magic _ripping out the Blood Drakes' shadows_ and quelling the fires that engulfed the island.

Pan shut his eyes tightly, his ability to focus on parts of the island returning. He saw a few stragglers leaving the swamps, the rest of his boys already in the camp gathering the wounded and the dead. It'd be weeks before the camp would be restored; everything was burned into ash.

A glint of gold on the ground distracted Pan. He swallowed the dryness in his throat, picking up the tarnished golden scale from the dirt, edges stained with blood. If he concentrated hard enough, Pan could recall what Chester had lectured to him about Blood Drakes.

_"They dismember the males and rape the females, disembowelling the matriarchs to guarantee none of their offspring will survive."_

Pan held the scale tight, ignoring the severed claw just a few yards away. If he was any later, if he was any weaker, Felix could've been the one torn to bits. He wished he could have the boys monitoring Felix all day but there were more than enough casualties on their end. Until his magic rejuvenated, Pan would have to take care of Felix the old fashioned way.

Stepping into the cave, Pan conjured up a small flame and lit the firepit in the middle, stoking the dying flames. The fire illuminated Felix's shimmering scales, coaxing the sun-like colour from them despite the coating of blood and dirt. The young dragon hadn't moved since Pan brought him into the cave, simply remaining curled up against the walls, barely breathing.

Pan knelt by his head, stroking at his battered scales. He took a nearby bucket of water, conjuring a cloth as he wiped Felix down, "You're going to be okay," Pan murmured, stroking Felix's head gently, "I promise."

A gentle growl came from Felix's chest. The golden dragon opened one eye slowly, whining pathetically as it nuzzled Pan's chest. Peter smiled briefly, stroking Felix back before standing with the bucket, "I'll get you some water," His breath hitched when Felix suddenly stood, shaking the dirt and blood off his scales clumsily, "W-Wait…" Pan muttered, pushed aside as Felix stumbled out the cave, "Felix!"

The dragon could not hear him, simply spreading his wings and taking to the skies, his movements jagged and lazy, stunted by pain. Pan didn't need to follow him to know where he was going, teleporting himself to the entrance of his family's hoard. He swallowed the dryness in his throat once more, shutting his eyes when Felix tumbled out of the air as he tried to land on the cliff, limping pathetically into the cave. He whined, chirped, wailed like a baby as he pushed past the clutter of destroyed, scattered hoards to find his sister's corpse, eyes still open, bowels pouring from her stomach.

"F-Felix, don't…" Pan murmured, heart aching at the sight.

Felix nudged at his sister's muzzle, whining desperately, trying to awaken a breathless corpse. He pawed at her cheek, nudging her the same way he had once done to wake her up. When her scales remained cold and her eyes remained empty, Felix let out one more despairing cry before throwing his head back and _screaming_ , wings folding over himself, trying to crush himself out of existence.

Smoke gathered around him, replacing the wounded dragon with an equally wounded boy, limbs battered blue and lacerations all over him. Felix covered his eyes, wailing into his hands as the misery took over. He clung to Pan when he realized his master had embraced him, accepting his comfort and screaming into his shoulder till his voice was hoarse.

"…I'm sorry," The weeping dragon and his master froze, eyes darting to the entrance of the cave where the source of all their misery stood, "I didn't know what they'd do," Rufio muttered, scratched up but not nearly as much as Felix, "I only brought them here to migrate. I didn't think they'd…"

There was barely enough time to react. Pan found himself on the stone floor before he realized what had happened, smoke filling the cave as Felix shifted into his dragon form, eyes narrowed and feral as he screeched, rage rushing through his veins as he charged forward and crushed Rufio into the dirt, pinning him with one claw as he screamed into his face, flames flickering in the back of his throat.

Rufio did nothing, aware of his crimes and ready to face the punishment.

_Enough._ There was already too much death and destruction today. Smoke engulfed the wounded dragon and Felix towered over Rufio, sobbing uncontrollably even as he glared at him with all his hatred. Felix didn’t move till Pan took him by the arm and pulled him back to camp.

 

As Pan remembered back when he prepared the scales for Chester, dragon flesh was fire-resistant which meant funeral pyres were impossible. Instead, the boys dug a large pit, burying Felix's family, covering their still-gleaming golden scales with black dirt. Some of the boys were crying for their friends and the dragons. Others had hardened their hearts, acting as parental figures despite how unfitting it was. Felix was eerily silent, awkwardly clutching at Pan's tunic, nails digging into his arm.

Pan said nothing as the boys filled the pit with dirt. He never wanted this to happen. If he had paid more attention to Chester, if he wasn't so petulant when Chester brought him on hunting trips, he could have recognized the black scales and red streaks of a Blood Drake.

_Rufio_ , Pan looked to his left, seeing the outcast at the edge of the clearing, too ashamed of what he had done. Felix didn't kill him; Felix wanted to forgive him but not now, not when the island still smelled of smoke and dragon blood.

With one more shovel of dirt, the pit was filled. Felix's family was gone forever. Pan felt Felix's fingers flex against his arm, his grip loosening before shifting upwards, "Are you tired?" Pan whispered, listening to Felix whine in the back of his throat like a beaten dog.

Shutting his eyes, Pan teleported both of them back to his treehouse, walking Felix over to the bed and laying him down. He nearly left till a hand came around his wrist, jerking him backwards. He turned, tumbling onto the bed when Felix yanked at him suddenly, arms coming around his body to hug him tight.

"Felix…" Pan whispered, laying on the boy's chest, hands and knees on the bed around him while Felix clung to him like his life depended on it.

Felix sobbed once, his tears coming back when no one else could see him cry, "Don't die," He muttered, "Don't _ever_ die."

Pan lifted himself from Felix's chest, stroking the side of Felix's face to calm him when he became anxious from their lack of contact. He smiled softly, wiping away tears with his thumb, "I'll live forever."

"Promise?" Felix whined, sniffling, sounding like a child half his age begging for Pan's reassurance.

His master smiled, bringing light to the smog that filled Felix's mind, "Promise," Pan replied, lowering himself, pausing just before making contact and letting Felix bridge the gap.

This was the least Pan could give Felix after everything he had been through. He felt Felix's hands grip into the back of his tunic, fingers digging as if he wanted to tear it off his body. Pan kept his lips firm against him, not deepening the kiss, refusing to make it obscene. Right now, Felix simply need _comfort._

Clothes shedding to the floor, hands groping each other pleasurably but not too intimately, Pan and Felix remained crushed together on the bed, pleasing each other beyond master-and-pet, beyond simple friendship. Rolling on top, Felix held Pan's face in his hands, sad smile on his face as the last of his tears dried on his skin.

"I loved you since the day I saw you," Felix murmured, "Since the day you fed me with your hands, I knew we had to be together," He sobbed once, hanging his head on Pan's shoulder, "I didn't lose you today for a reason. It's _destiny_ , isn't it?"

His words were senseless, driven by heartache and grief, but Pan didn't have the strength to disagree. He nodded, caressing Felix's shoulders, "Of course," He shut his eyes, guiding Felix back to his lips, arms holding him close, protecting him.

_Destiny_ was a curse for Pan. When Felix's heart had finally calmed, Pan took him to the safest place in Neverland: _Skull Rock_ , where Pan's very life force lay. Felix shuddered when he felt the magic coursing through him, staring at his hands and noting how his fresh scars were stitching themselves back together.

"I lied to you before," Pan murmured, startling Felix, "I won't live forever. _This_ limits me," He touched the hourglass, flinching at the human-like warmth it radiated, _his warmth._

Felix approached it slowly. He knew Pan was humouring him before during his grief, "When the sand runs out, you'll die. Is that it?"

Pan nodded, "The sand represents all the magic in Neverland fueling my youth. Once it runs out, age catches up to me, then I die."

"Why are you showing me this?" Felix asked.

"It was something I wanted you to know," Pan replied, "I didn't want it to surprise you if I suddenly-" He cut himself off, unable to even think of his own death, "I've never told any of the boys this. Just you," He noticed a forlorn look in Felix's eyes, hands fidgeting nervously, "What is it?"

Felix wouldn't make eye contact, "Magic is keeping you alive. So… if I give you more magic, you'll live longer?"

Pan didn't understand but nodded anyway.

"If I give you my heart, you can add it to the magic," Felix said, resting a hand on his chest. The core of magic within a dragon, how their breath could become fire, how they could turn themselves to human given time and wisdom. _Renowned healing properties if brewed into medicine_ , "Extend your life for just a bit."

"No!" Pan exclaimed.

Felix was unfocused, weary, "Don't you see? It's perfect. You get to live longer and I get to be with my family. Peter, this is-"

"Stop! Don't say that!" Pan shouted, charging over to Felix and grabbing his shoulders, "I didn't bring you here to kill you. I brought you here because you're important to me and I want you to know that _I need you_."

Felix was crying before Pan was even aware, " _But it hurts so much._ I want to see my sister, my brothers…" He covered his eyes, wailing uncontrollably, "And I want you to live forever."

He didn't mean to trigger such heartache. He meant to show Felix how important the boy was to him. Arms around his head, both of them falling to their knees and laying against the golden skulls under the hourglass, Pan held Felix till he calmed down under the pleasant hum of Neverland's magic.

 

The pain would never leave Felix but he would learn to endure it. For weeks after the slaughter, while the boys recovered and carried on with their daily lives, Felix remained in Pan's treehouse, unable to find the strength to return to dragon form. He had no one to take the skies with anymore, no one to wrestle in the fields.

"Felix!" Pan called out, flying into the treehouse with a plate of mutton stew and rice, "I got you something to eat."

The boy perked up from the desk, leaving the book he had found on shore and scuttling over. Felix smiled to Pan as he took the plate, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead, "Thank you," He returned to the desk, eagerly snapping up the fresh mutton as he flipped a page in his book.

Curious, unaware that Felix could read, Pan approached Felix and peered over his shoulder, inwardly snickering when he saw the book _filled with pictures_ instead of text. He ruffled Felix's hair, noting how the boy still had much to learn about personal grooming as his fingers tangled in the wild snarls.

Pan took a seat on the bed behind Felix, watching the dragon boy contemplatively. It took a few weeks but Felix's spirit had returned. The only time his grief would take over was at night, when dreams would plague him so he'd cling to Pan's chest to console himself. Pan wondered if Felix would ever become a dragon again, if he'd ever fly about the sky happily like he once did.

"Felix?" Peter said, smiling when the boy turned to face him, "Do you want to go flying?"

His fading smile was subtle. Felix's eyes cast downward, sighing briefly before turning back to Pan, "No. I'm busy," He clutched at the book, pretending to read when Pan approached him. He felt another hand in his hair, ruffling it affectionately before backing off, "Peter…" He murmured weakly, " _Wait_."

"Yes?"

Slowly, Felix looked to Pan, hands curled into fists as he contemplated what to do, "I... I do. I do want to fly. I want to go back to my family's hoard and collect a few things," His breathing was shaky, "Can you come with me?"

Pan took his hands, caressing them, brow lifting in a smug look, "Thought you'd never ask."

 

"Look!" Nibs shouted, pointing to the tops of the trees, his smile lighting up the entire camp as everyone heard Felix's wings beating through the air, "Felix!" He shouted, waving eagerly.

All the boys were cheering, finally seeing their friend after weeks of silence. Felix soared through the skies, Pan clinging to his back as he weaved through the air. The weight was still there, the pain of being the last of his family, but Felix nearly forgot about the joy that came from cutting through the air, the world far beneath him, sunlight gleaming on his scales.

"Go faster!" Pan shouted, patting at his back, a welcome weight upon him.

Felix did as he commanded, ears folded back as his wings beat at the sky. Like a spear, limbs close around him, he swore Pan had fallen off from the sheer acceleration but promptly teleported himself back with magic. Felix wouldn't admit he knew, however, knowing how important pride was to Peter Pan.

Pan clutched Felix's scales tightly, eyeing the cliff where he once roosted ahead. For a moment, Pan was surprised when Felix didn't slow down. On the contrary, Felix was speeding up, wings folded back as he dove down at the cliff. Pan gasped when the dragon disappeared from under him, smoke obscuring everything. Pan let out a short, terrified cry before plummeting from the skies and _into Felix's arms._ The boy catching him and rolling on the ground several times as the momentum carried them.

Sitting on the stone floor, a goofy look on his face, Felix nudged at Peter's nose with his own, "Did I scare you?" He leaned in for a kiss, chuckling when Pan turned away and huffed angrily. He stood carefully, depositing Pan onto his feet before looking into the cave. The dread returned but his confidence remained. As long as Peter was with him, as long as _Malcolm_ was with him, everything would be fine.

"Ready?" Pan asked, taking one step forward and gesturing in.

Felix nodded back, following the boy.

Since that terrible day, when Pan regained his magic, he restored the Sun Wyvern home, clearing out the blood and carnage, rebuilding each of his siblings' hoard. They became memorials, forever preserved by Neverland's magic.

Felix feared to take a breath, the stench of coagulated flesh and smoke still fresh in his mind. His tensions relieved when he approached the back where his sister was slain, finding the stone clean of blood. Even the gashes along the stone caused by the assault were gone, restored by Pan's magic.

Shifting his thoughts, Felix examined the four hoards. The first one, the largest, was filled with scraps of shipwrecks and castles, a skilled huntress targeting populated, plentiful areas and packing her hoard with practical goods. The second one was the smallest, filled with bones and pelts of domesticated animals with the occasional farmer's equipment. There were few urban goods, revealing a preference to the sparsely populated rural life. The third was magnificent to behold, filled with gleaming metals of all types: Weapons, statues, jewelry, furniture, all polished by a dragon's tongue till it resembled silver.

Finally, Felix came upon his hoard. Unlike his siblings, he never left Neverland to collect his spoils. This island was all he ever needed which meant his hoard mainly consisted of goods he stole from the Lost Boys and the occasional mystical creature that Felix stumbled upon.

Pan stood afar and watched as Felix sorted through his siblings' stuff. From his bashful brother, he collected a large, club-like bone. From his cleanly brother, he collected a shining, slightly jagged dagger. From his sister, he took a long purple sheet of fabric with regal insignia etched upon it. He bundled everything, turning back to Pan with a smile, "That's all."

Following Felix out, Pan noticed the sad smile on his dragon boy's face, "What now?"

The boy looked to him, his expression warming just by looking at Peter's face, "I… don't want to be a dragon anymore," His breath hitched, his brows knitted as if he were judging his own decision negatively, "I want to be a human boy, with you. Forever."

His family was gone. There was no reason for him to migrate, no reason for him to hoard, no reason to continue his life as a dragon without them. He mourned; he'd forever remember his family; but he had to move on.

"Is that okay?" Felix murmured, "If you want me to be a dragon-" He was cut off, soft lips pressing against his own.

"No," Peter murmured as he backed away, "I don't want you to be a dragon."

His approval like a breath of fresh air, Felix leapt forward and crushed Pan in a hug, " _Malcolm_ ," He whispered his true name affectionately.

Pan smirked, patting Felix's back, " _Lucky_."

With his life as a dragon drawing to a close, both Pan and Felix knew there was one last thread to tie up. Without his wings, Felix had to rely on Pan teleporting him to a secluded camp on the far side of the island. Felix approached first, pushing past the trees to find a single tent and a small campfire with one lonely boy sitting beside it.

"Rufio," Felix greeted.

The weary boy, eyes still red from crying, leapt to his feet anxiously eager to finally speak with someone, "F-Felix," He muttered out, "I…I'm sorry," It was the only thing Rufio could ever manage to say around him.

Now that he had let go of his past, Felix could finally respond, "I forgive you."

Rufio gasped, brown eyes batting twice as he began to tremble, "B-B-But…But I…"

In his rage, Felix had forgotten Rufio too had lost what he believed to be his family that day in more ways than one. He extended a hand, welcoming Rufio, "Let's go home."

Happy beyond words, Rufio tackled Felix down with a hug, smothering him with words of endearment before Pan peeled him off jealously, all of them making their way back to camp on foot. As the clearing came close, as the sound of boys chatting and playing drew near, Felix stopped to look back at the sky. To the skies he once flew in, to the cave he once shared with his family, to the siblings who showed him the world and brought him back to his most beloved, Felix said his final goodbye and joined his new family.


	2. Extra: The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A canon-compliant end to the Dragon!Felix world but ultimately, I don't consider this a part of the fic and is just an extra I wanted to include

The heart of a dragon, renowned for healing properties. The massive weight felt hot on his hands like solid fire. Even now, in the ghostly fog and dim skies of the _afterlife_ , Pan could still feel that heart in his hands. He clenched his fist once, trying to erase the guilty pressure of murdering his best friend.

He tried to tell himself he was desperate, irrational, backed into a corner with no way out, but no one would believe him. Not even himself. Why should anyone believe him anymore?

From the distance, breaking him from his trance, Pan could hear _dragons roaring,_ could hear wings beating. He stepped through the fog, running into nothing, following simply the sound of animalistic shouts and heavy footsteps.

"…Lucky?"

The fog cleared; the world came into focus. Even the skies seemed to brighten as four beautiful dragons cloaked in shining golden scales played together before him, chasing each other likes cats and dogs. The sight of it all made Pan so damn _happy_. Lucky, distinguished by the scar on his face, was bellowing with laughter as he chased his older sister through the air.

For just a brief moment, Pan thought everything was better so when he ran out to greet his companion, he was utterly taken aback when all the dragons halted in their spots to glare at him. He froze, swallowing nervously, "Lucky," He whispered, reaching out to the scarred dragon, "It's me."

The expression on his face was utterly human _heartbreak_. The scarred dragon's eyes were round, filled with weariness despite his youth. He couldn't meet Peter's eyes despite how many times bigger he was. Ears folding down, tail dropping to the dirt, Lucky whined pathetically like a beaten dog.

Pan wanted to reach out but was knocked backwards by a gust of air. Lucky's older sister charged forward, snarling at Pan as fire leaked from her lips. Lucky's other siblings joined her side, all of them growling menacingly while Felix cowered behind them.

There was nothing more Pan could do than sit and watch as Lucky's family built a wall between them, comforting Lucky before whisking him away. Pan remained still, staring into the skies until the dragon family was long gone and the thick fog returned, his soul swallowed up by the nothingness that came with loneliness. Pan closed his hands once more, the weight of Felix's heart unbearably worse than any sores or burns the smithy could have given him.

It was too late to ask Lucky to fly him away.


End file.
